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Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekicks
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Author:  Wndrfl [ Sun Oct 07, 2012 3:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekicks

YakAttack has come up with a way to attach the Hobie Sidekick to their GearTrac, FullBack, and MightyBolt products. I was lucky enough to try out one of the prototypes this weekend.
The results were stellar. The GTAB provided a secure attachment that I can quickly connect and release. Additionally, I can mount the Sidekicks anywhere on the kayak and move/slide them to another spot to suit my needs. I can even move them to any other kayak that has a GearTrac installed.
Forward mount:
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Close-up of GTAB
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Behind the seat:
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The Sidekick installed towards the bow did not interfere with the MD at all.

Author:  Jcanracer [ Mon Oct 08, 2012 7:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

That's pretty cool!

Author:  Chaz [ Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

This is the perfect answer to mounting on my Revo 11. My wellnuts pulled out. The gunnel is very narrow. Using the narrow GT tracks with a fullback and the rigging bullets will give a very securely backed mount to the track. By only using one Mightybolt to attach the block that holds the Sidekick saddles, it eliminates the problem of cross kayak track alignment. I have a couple of questions:
1. Do you feel the Sidekicks are secure enough with only one fastener attachng to the tracks? Ultimate test: Can you tip the kayak on its side on dry land with the sidekick on? (test only. This would be very bad practice though I imagine there could be shallow water scenario on a flipped kayak that someone could invent)
2. Is that adaptor mount block made for the Sidekick with holes and embedded locknuts in it or is it just a block that must be drilled to attach the saddles?
3. Does the saddle mounting block have to be mounted at the end of the track or can it slide anywhere along the track?
4 Does that adaptor block have a Yakattack part number and what is the cost?

Thank you

Author:  Revo_1756 [ Sun Oct 14, 2012 9:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

[quote="Chaz"]
1. Do you feel the Sidekicks are secure enough with only one fastener attachng to the tracks?

I agree with questioning the single knob/bolt connection. Especially using for sailing. To use only as a stabilizer I see no issue but forward momentum and wave impact I question the connection relying on a single machine screw and a cantilevered plastic tab.

I do feel it is a fantastic solution to mounting the sidekick amas but personally would find a plastic tab long enough and a longer track to hold down with two knobs as well as have room for a RAM ball.

I was actually looking into that mount personally for my sidekick. I mounted my sidekick with 1-1/2" long wellnuts which have held for four years now with no sign of pull out.

Revo

Author:  Wndrfl [ Sun Oct 14, 2012 1:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

1. Do you feel the Sidekicks are secure enough with only one fastener attachng to the tracks? Ultimate test: Can you tip the kayak on its side on dry land with the sidekick on? (test only. This would be very bad practice though I imagine there could be shallow water scenario on a flipped kayak that someone could invent)

I find it to be very secure for ocean fishing and standing on the flats, one bolt seems to be more than enough. However, Revo makes a good point about the added stresses when sailing. I am not sure what the tolerance is on the plastic but I will discuss this with the folks at YakAttack. The current tab is only about 2.5-3" long. I would not think adding a MightyBolt to both sides would be a tooling issue (but certainly a cost issue) and the GT90s come in 4", 8" 12", and 16" lengths so there should not be an issue mounting more than a Sidekick and a Screwball.

Keep in mind that the GT90s have a threaded backing plate that runs the full length of the track so you could not ask for a more secure attachment to the kayak.

2. Is that adaptor mount block made for the Sidekick with holes and embedded locknuts in it or is it just a block that must be drilled to attach the saddles?

The block has Nyloc nuts embedded and all you need is a Phillips head screwdriver. I think thumbscrews would be a nice upgrade.


3. Does the saddle mounting block have to be mounted at the end of the track or can it slide anywhere along the track?

It can be mounted anywhere on any GearTrack and it is a breeze to adjust. You can slide them up and down the track (loosen bracket first) and pop them on and off with ease. I just mounted it on the end because the location suited my purpose. I also have GT90s on my Adventure and Oasis and I plan to snap the Sidekicks from kayak to kayak. It's also nice to not have the pole on the kayak when I am not using the Sidekicks.

4 Does that adaptor block have a Yakattack part number and what is the cost?

I believe they are calling it the GTAB and I don't know what the cost will be. I would contact YakAtack.US for more info on that.

Author:  Chaz [ Sun Oct 14, 2012 4:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

Wndrfl wrote:
1. Do you feel the Sidekicks are secure enough with only one fastener attachng to the tracks? Ultimate test: Can you tip the kayak on its side on dry land with the sidekick on? (test only. This would be very bad practice though I imagine there could be shallow water scenario on a flipped kayak that someone could invent)

I find it to be very secure for ocean fishing and standing on the flats, one bolt seems to be more than enough. However, Revo makes a good point about the added stresses when sailing. I am not sure what the tolerance is on the plastic but I will discuss this with the folks at YakAttack. The current tab is only about 2.5-3" long. I would not think adding a MightyBolt to both sides would be a tooling issue (but certainly a cost issue) and the GT90s come in 4", 8" 12", and 16" lengths so there should not be an issue mounting more than a Sidekick and a Screwball.

Keep in mind that the GT90s have a threaded backing plate that runs the full length of the track so you could not ask for a more secure attachment to the kayak.

2. Is that adaptor mount block made for the Sidekick with holes and embedded locknuts in it or is it just a block that must be drilled to attach the saddles?

The block has Nyloc nuts embedded and all you need is a Phillips head screwdriver. I think thumbscrews would be a nice upgrade.


3. Does the saddle mounting block have to be mounted at the end of the track or can it slide anywhere along the track?

It can be mounted anywhere on any GearTrack and it is a breeze to adjust. You can slide them up and down the track (loosen bracket first) and pop them on and off with ease. I just mounted it on the end because the location suited my purpose. I also have GT90s on my Adventure and Oasis and I plan to snap the Sidekicks from kayak to kayak. It's also nice to not have the pole on the kayak when I am not using the Sidekicks.

4 Does that adaptor block have a Yakattack part number and what is the cost?

I believe they are calling it the GTAB and I don't know what the cost will be. I would contact YakAtack.US for more info on that.


Great answer. I think I will be going with an 8" GT90 tracks behind the seat and a 12" GT90's up front like you did. I will be using the fullback backing plates even in areas where I can reach. I hope the floatation blocks don't get in the way in the back. I am not concerned about the "plastic" tab. That plastic is plenty strong enough for my kayak rod holders and downriggers as well as the mounting plates on my electric downriggers with 15 lb lead balls on my big boat. Think positive. If the Sidekick comes off, at least I won't lose it. It floats!
BTW, I bet the "Mark II" model of that GTAB plate will span both sides of the Sidekick saddle mount and have arced slots to adjust to keep saddles parallel on non-parallel GT90 track pairs. Yakattack is a very sharp company. If they do that, I hope they keep the single mount so folks can maximize track space like you did.

Author:  Wndrfl [ Mon Oct 15, 2012 3:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

Quote:
I bet the "Mark II" model of that GTAB plate will span both sides of the Sidekick saddle mount and have arced slots to adjust to keep saddles parallel on non-parallel GT90 track pairs. Yakattack is a very sharp company. If they do that, I hope they keep the single mount so folks can maximize track space like you did.


Chaz- You just reminded me of one of the positive features of the single mount: the tracks don't have to be parallel. I guess the "Mark II' would need a bit more tooling than I would have guessed to keep the brackets parallel.

Regarding track placement, I was going to replace the 8" with 12" behind the seat but there seemed to be too much curvature on the boat across a 12" span (lucky I didn't drill before checking. This is a difficult spot to install. I used the Rigging Bullets and they were a great help.

I picked up some 16" GT90s and I am, likely, going to swap out the 12" in the front for these. I have read that some folks have done this but I have yet to see any photos.

Author:  Chaz [ Mon Oct 15, 2012 8:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

Wndrfl wrote:
Quote:
I bet the "Mark II" model of that GTAB plate will span both sides of the Sidekick saddle mount and have arced slots to adjust to keep saddles parallel on non-parallel GT90 track pairs. Yakattack is a very sharp company. If they do that, I hope they keep the single mount so folks can maximize track space like you did.


Chaz- You just reminded me of one of the positive features of the single mount: the tracks don't have to be parallel. I guess the "Mark II' would need a bit more tooling than I would have guessed to keep the brackets parallel.

Regarding track placement, I was going to replace the 8" with 12" behind the seat but there seemed to be too much curvature on the boat across a 12" span (lucky I didn't drill before checking. This is a difficult spot to install. I used the Rigging Bullets and they were a great help.

I picked up some 16" GT90s and I am, likely, going to swap out the 12" in the front for these. I have read that some folks have done this but I have yet to see any photos.


The curvature in the boat was my biggest challenge for mounting the sidekick saddles parallel. That is why I stood up and cheered when I saw the single point mount that is free to swivel. My best solution was to try and use a 4" track, but even that had its challenges and limited areas where it could be mounted. You can't get too close to the edges because the the fullback plate underneath will run into the sides of the kayak. Your installation not only solves that problem, it gave me a longer track to mount other stuff. Not only that, I could probably use the GT175 mounts and I bet if I used a 8" or longer section, the self tapping screws might be strong enough where I couldn't get a backing plate in since there are twice as many fasteners with a spread out footprint. I think the GT175 would be better when sliding my Revo 11 upside down while loading on my Jeep roof racks.

Author:  Wndrfl [ Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

I have been using the "GTAB" for almost a year now and they have held up great! I really love being able to move the Sidekicks to different places and on to our other kayaks.

As an FYI, these are now being retailed by YakAttack and it is being called the Track Bracket Kit. The part number is: #TBK-001. I believe it retails for $16USD.

Author:  joemoglia [ Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

We just added the #TBK-001 brackets to our Revolution 13’s and it works great! It is incredibly strong/sturdy even with the single post into the gear track. There is no ‘play’ left to right and you can actually pick up the kayak using the cross bar (however, I would not do this other than to test things out). We spent two days sailing on Lake Michigan without any issues.

We liked being able to remove the sidekicks including the cross bar quickly. I also like the idea of being able to adjust the position of the sidekick cross bar back and forth as needed (I used an 8 inch gear track behind the seats) … The install of the sidekicks is more forgiving because if anything is out of alignment it can be rectified by adjusting the bracket.

Be sure to check out their ‘Rigging Bullet’… This saved my arms and hours of work while installing the gear track. I also used their new SpectraLite Polymer GearTracs with a backing plate. We had no issue with these and they seem very strong/sturdy as well...

As you can probably tell… I am really happy with the results! Thanks for posting about these!

Author:  riverandsnow [ Tue Sep 03, 2013 4:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

The sidekicks existing hardware seems fine to me. Really is only one place to mount it anyway. Behind the seat. Doesn't need to be moved. Leaving the center bar in place is not an issue. I also added rodholders etc to the bar. . Gives me enough extra attachment space so I don't have to put a milkcrate in the rear well

Author:  Wndrfl [ Wed Sep 04, 2013 10:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

Riverandsnow,

I am sure what works for me is not going to work for everyone.
For me, I like the ability to easily remove them and place them anywhere on the kayak or on another kayak. I also like that you don't have to have parallel alignment of the mounting brackets or tracks.

Author:  Hanover_Yakker [ Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Using YakAttack GearTrac (GT90) to attach Hobie Sidekick

If curvature is your concern, then you might consider the new Composite Gear Tracs that are bendable so that they can be fitted to your hull more precisely. Not sure if you knew about that or not.

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